[Breast lesions undergoing needle aspiration. Studies of the Senology Section of SIRM (the Lombard Group). L'Associazione Italiana di Radiologia Medica].
BACKGROUND
The SIRM study group for senology in Lombardy (GRESS-Lombardy) promotes meetings about discipline-related subjects and continuing medical education; it also tests and compares different procedures and collects and analyzes the data relative to large series of patients. We considered the breast lesions submitted to FNAB as the first study subject.


METHODS
Clinical, technical, radiologic and cyto-histologic data were collected using a form and the results analyzed statistically. In 7 months (January to July, 1996), 23,952 women underwent mammography: 1405 lesions were detected and submitted to FNAB which helped diagnose 373 malignant, 951 benign and 81 nonclassified lesions. FNAB is performed in all our centers since cytologic examination is considered necessary for all the lesions classified, after mammography, as suspect or benign in women over 30 years old. FNAB is also performed on the lesions considered malignant after mammography. When suspect micro-calcifications are found, FNAB for cytologic purposes is performed in 8/11 centers; surgical biopsy is strictly recommended in 3/11 centers.


RESULTS
Our personal results are reported in the 10 tables of this paper. Cytologic examination was inadequate in 11.8% of cases, negative in 58,4% and questionable in 5.2% of lesions, while malignancy was suspected in 7.2% of lesions. Cytologic findings were definitely malignant in 17.4% of lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
The analysis of collected data can provide the operator with clear guidelines for common diagnostic protocols. All series of cases must obviously be recorded and analyzed to promote self-evaluation and comparison criteria, which are the basics to improve the accuracy of the radiologists devoted to senology.
D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011871:Radiology; D012955:Societies, Medical; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
Lesioni mammarie sottoposte ad agoaspirazione. Indagine della Sezione di Senologia della SIRM (Gruppo Lombardo).